Humber Freeport makes new home in historic trade centre

(Posted on 07/06/24)

Associated British Ports (ABP) has announced that the Humber Freeport Company has located its headquarters in the Grade II Listed Grimsby Dock Office.

The Humber ports play a vital role for the UK as nation’s premier gateway with the world, handling around 17% of the nation’s trade, and the Freeport expands across the Humber including ABP’s four major ports of Grimsby, Goole, Hull, and Immingham. As a new catalyst for further boosting trade and investment it’s particularly appropriate that the Freeport has selected an office location in the heart of an enduring part of the Humber’s trade network.

The Grimsby Dock Office is just one element of ABP’s extensive and diverse offering of property and development opportunities – from heritage assets to large scale development sites like the Humber International Enterprise Park (HIEP) in Hull, offering 468 acres of prime development land, including 212 acres of port estate and is situated within the tax-assisted zone. The site also has access to a dedicated road/rail link and is ideally suited for port-centric manufacturing, logistics and green energy uses.

Greg Lacey, Head of Property for ABP in the Humber said: “The Humber Freeport is a fantastic opportunity for the UK to attract new inward investment from both international and domestic businesses. We have several complementary development sites across the North and South Bank, all of which have their own USPs and the ability to attract transformational projects to the region. What is also exciting, is the opportunity for the development sites to play a vital part in the Humber’s transformation to green energy and decarbonisation”.

“We welcome Simon and the Humber Freeport Company team to Grimsby, which is the customs zone of the Freeport, and located close to the offices of North East Lincolnshire Council, which is the accountable body for Humber Freeport.”

Simon Green, CEO of Humber Freeport said: “This is another significant landmark for Humber Freeport, giving us a base in the heart of the region from which to drive further investment.

“Large-scale developments with a total value of more than £1bn have already been announced for freeport sites in the Humber, demonstrating how attractive our proposition is for inward investors.

“That investment in turn creates skilled jobs for local people, broadening our region’s supply chain while driving innovation and economic growth.”

The Humber Freeport offers a range of incentives relating to customs, tax, planning, infrastructure, and innovation. Tax benefits are available to investors at the Freeport’s three tax sites of Hull East, Goole and Able Humber Port.